My Little Last Heartbeat
by Rotom
Summary: When a young Eevee finally escapes from what he deems to be prison, he is shocked to discover that the outside world is not as thrilling as he once viewed it. Driven by a strong will, he sets out to find the one place where he truly belongs. ON HOLD!
1. A Wish

I... have some explaining to do.

I apologize for the severe decrease in activity on here. I've been limited on the times I am allowed to get on the computer, so that is one reason why I haven't been updating as much. But forget that. Have another dosage of the _My Little..._ series.

But anyways, I've had this chapter written up for about... two months now. This serves as a prequel to both MLFB and MLLL, so... mega time travel time! Even if you haven't read those, it's not required, since this could serve as an independent story itself. I will admit that I don't have this fully planned out, so there may be some inconsistencies with the update times of this. I also apologize for the shortness of this first chapter, but if I continued it'd be dragged out and repetitive, and I don't want that to bore you. But the next chapters will be longer, so cheers! As for the good news--I predict this story will have at least twenty chapters, so let's see if you can survive...

**Disclaimer: I do not own Eevee, Igglybuff, Kirlia, Typhlosion, or anything else related to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this fic.**

---

I rammed my head against the invisible wall separating me from the outside world for what I considered the millionth time. Those pesky humans, it's so torturous to keep us Pokemon inside. We're meant for the outside, not cooped up in some sort of shop window with no way out. It's annoying; especially when the younger humans go by and poke the glass simply to wake you up.

I banged my furry head on the glass again. This time, I was scolded by the owner of the place.

"Hush now, Eevee! It's almost closing time. You want a yummy tonight, don't you?"

I removed my face from the window to stare at the middle-aged person hovering above me, and then replaced it, this time hard enough to create a loud clunking noise. Behind me, there was the sound of my cage opening and then the sound of little drops. I knew he had put more pellets in my dish. The door closed, and he moved on to the Pokemon next to me.

Outside the world was so rich, so _beautiful_. It was amazing. The large trees, now shedding their golden leaves, were catching the last glimpse of the evening sunset before it hid itself behind the mountains and the moon came out, covering them in a dancing silver color. The grass, once an astonishing green, was now turning a limp blue due to the increasing chill in the air. At least, that's what I think was happening. Humans are naked, so they cover themselves up in these heavy colorful things whenever it gets cold.

All this was viewed from my little window of which I inhabited, so that's pretty much all I saw: trees, grass, hard gray concrete, and people who walked on it. I had no idea what it felt like to be outside or sounded like out there. Just think of all the scents out there! In here, the only thing I smelled was the dusty air and the musky scent of old food and toys. And other Pokemon, but I've never actually seen them. They smelled like fear, especially when they were dragged through the blue door at the end of the hall.

I planted my rump onto the wood shavings in my own little pen. I rose up a paw to test the glass again. It was still there. I exhaled a heavy sigh. Pokemon aren't meant to live in small boxes covered in uninteresting chew toys and stale food; they're meant to be outdoors in the wind! I spotted some Pokemon outside occasionally. Well, I lied. I saw them all the time: a brave Igglybuff following his pacing trainer, a Kirlia pacing along as her master rode on a bike, and even a Typhlosion strutting along as his owner rolled around in the fallen leaves.

Oh, I was _jealous_. I wanted to be free like them. I charged my entire self onto the glass again before giving it up for the night. The artificial sun turned off and a ringing, followed by a sharp click, signaled that the owner of the shop had left. It was funny how they could control the sun. I thought only Arceus could do that.

I sulked as I pawed my way to my dish. Sure enough, there was a small 'yummy' on top. I devoured it heartily before it could turn stale like my water had. My water, lined in a silver bowl, had soggy day-old pellets of food covering the bottom. It was disgusting; I didn't drink out of it and settled contentedly for my saliva, which was much more fulfilling than the stagnated water.

I have been in this prison for my entire life—an equivalent to about two months. Sure, it doesn't sound much. But when you're shoved against a translucent glass that directly separates you from freedom, it is so… so… cruel. In here I'm stuck by myself with disheartening conditions, longing to be outside. Out there, underneath the sky, I would be free. No more stale food, no aged water, and even some social contact with other living creatures. The only living being that has ever interacted with me, save for the kids outside who cooed over me, was the owner of our little jail. And all he did was feed me, which I was quite capable of doing on my own.

I let out a quiet, low sigh. Several of the Pokemon around me took up the deed and did one of their own accords in various pitches, all having the same high tone. After all, we were more so smaller, weaker Pokemon than say… an Arcanine for example, and as such, we had miniature vocal cords.

I finally settled myself down on the artificial wood shavings. They made my fur itch and crawl, but I suppose it was better than the Minun next door, who was forced to sleep on newspaper for lack of any more bedding. I was facing the window as usual, staring outside longingly as the cheese-colored moon slowly made itself known to the world once again. Several white dots soon arrived, and with them came some of the nocturnal Pokemon—Umbreon, Noctowl, Mismagius…

I closed my eyes, lowering my ears and recalling the days' events. Which was the same as always—the routine feeding of foul tasting Pokemon food, the constant annoyance that nobody bothered to look for an Eevee, and the fact that I had to put up with it for twenty-four, seven.

Despite my secluded life, I have heard of Pokemon who practically took over the world with their power-hungry selves; I've known of those who cowered at the gentlest touch; those who have grown fat from too many Poffins and Pokeblocks, and those who have defeated the darkness but still snarled at those who defied the weak…

It began getting increasingly cold, seeing as nobody was there to control the temperature anymore. I wished I was able to use a Fire-type move, or for one of these dopey Fire-types to use one themselves. Whatever the case, they snored in their dreams, forcing me to shiver and curl my bushy tail up to my small button nose. I briefly opened my eyes again, seeing the moon looked like a half-disk yet again.

Since I saw my special star—the same one I favored every night—I lowered my head again and slowly shut my eyes. I wished for a place that was comfortable; I wished I was able to be strong and break out of here; I wished for decent berries to eat and suitable drinking water; I wished for a true friend; I wished for a person of my very own.

But most importantly, I wished to be free.


	2. Princess Candy

I meant to have this up earlier than October, but something else turned up and I apologize. There'll be more frequent updates from now on. And I know someone will ask me about this perspective and the entire evolution thing, but you have to remember--the Eevee (as well as the girl) is only a young child, so try speaking and understanding the Pokemon world through a younger one's eyes. That and the fact that he's been stuffed up in a box for who knows how long.

Enough of my blabbering. Here, have yourself a disclaimer.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eevee, Mismagius, Skitty, Groudon, or anything else related to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this FanFiction.**

---

That night I dreamed endlessly of the outside world. In one scene I was lovingly licking my new trainer who fed me nothing but Poffins. In another I was busy attacking a Mismagius to death with Shadow Ball. The last portion had me entered in a contest—I had won the master rank and was covered in ribbons of all sizes and colors.

I was enjoying the dreams so much; my internal clock apparently had a delayed effect in waking up. Needless to say, I was startled out of my skin when the shop owner suddenly flicked on the light switch with a howl of, "Good morning, Pokemon! Who wants some breakfast?"

I glanced outside before answering. It was still dark out there. How could humans control the times of day in portions like that? I watched as uproar came from all sides, be it annoyance or hunger. My own cries soon joined, combined with both needs.

In our frenzy, we forgot he couldn't understand us. The bright man slowly found a smile planted on his face. Although he may have been too old to remember how to properly care for Pokemon, he was still kind. "All right, kiddies. I see the point. Who wants to go first?"

After a few minutes of pestering, we all had out food bowls filled with the disgusting pellets. I glared at my silver-lined bowl. He'd forgotten to change my water again. Noticing this, I let out an angry bark. Since that was technically all we did, he ignored me to give some seeds to a Swablu.

I sighed, lowering my pointy ears and plotting a way to get my childish revenge. At least until the bell rang. Everyone looked up, even our caregiver, who was busy sweeping the dusty floor. I didn't know if I should feel happy, sour, angry, or all three—happy that there was the possibility that I would finally get out of here, sour that I had to be chosen among the others who craved for homes, or angry at the human race themself for displaying us like plushies.

---

Three hours into the business of selling his merchandise proved to be boring. It was getting routine—people come in, wrinkle their nose at my unpleasant odor, pick up an attractive Togepi or Vulpix, and run out with said Pokemon. I was bitter the entire day, which pretty much ruined my chances for getting out. Nobody wanted a sad and angry Eevee. I remained like that, at least until a very young girl barged in. She dropped her books on the floor before quickly informing our shopkeeper that she 'got six whole dollars.' She wanted to know where the 'cute' Pokemon was.

"Could I have some examples…?" our guardian questioned nervously. Everyone had their own unique definition of what a cute Pokemon was. Not only that, but her mother was nowhere in sight. Judging by the textbooks on a pile beside the door, she was supposed to be in school.

She listed off a ridiculously long list of Pokemon, most of them being cat Pokemon. She even mentioned a Mew, who was impossible to grab and stuff into a clear box like he did us.

"Well... There's some over there…" he pointed out silently, aiming a finger at a line of cages, remembering children favored the small and furry Pokemon. Directly at his fingertip was a pink cat. Not a Mew, but instead a Skitty.

It worked nonetheless, and the girl quickly dashed over to the smaller Pokemon's side. She observed it for a few moments. Apparently she didn't like its attempts to act adorable, and stated bluntly when it stuck a cream-colored paw through the bars, "I don't like it."

Our caregiver looked stunned. _All _little girls loved Skitty. She ignored his second suggestion to move to the box next to the Skitty—an undersized Poochyena. "Too ugly." She grumbled irritably, causing the Dark-type to tackle the bars separating him from the human. "And too mean. I'll bet he's rabid."

The Pokemon she passed all had some sort of imperfection, be it mundane or humane: "Too pretty, too ugly, too big, too old---Yuck! Too yellow." She was practically writing a novel filled with two-word sentences.

Her eyes settled on me, who happened to be next in line after the Pichu she had discriminated. Being taller than my little platform, she bent down to her knees and stared deeply into my seething eyes. She remained for that quite a while, unfazed by my glares. Finally I began getting uncomfortable and twitched an ear, uneasy.

"What's the matter with the Eevee?" she loudly called across the room, causing some of the Pokemon with sensitive hearing to wince in pain. As if that wasn't bad enough, we had a lazy old man shouting back at her.

"He's probably angry. Nobody's bothered to even look at him today."

She surveyed me with bright blue eyes, observing me from every angle possible. After a dramatic pause she spoke. "He's bad, but not as much as the others." Then right in my eardrums she cried, "I'll take him!"

I recoiled. All these human's Hyper Voices were seriously getting to me. At least until it clicked in my head and heart at what she'd just said. Instantly I tried to brighten the situation, making the classic lost puppy look. Unfortunately she didn't see, but I heard a nearby Budew mutter about my antics were pathetic. I ignored it, and the humans couldn't understand it, so it went unnoticed.

The caretaker blinked blankly, probably thinking the same thing I was. Who'd want a dirty Eevee who had been glaring at her for Arceus-knows-how-long? I didn't care, to be honest. Was I finally getting out of here? My white-tipped tail began to wag for what seemed the first time in years.

"I'll need permission from a guardian…" he muttered under his breath. Then, deciding he'd rather have money than a Eevee who banged his head on things, he motioned for her to come over. "He's five dollars, and he comes with a name tag, too."

I had no clue what a name tag was, but I grinned madly, looking up at her. Joy coursed through my veins as they began discussing unimportant things to a Pokemon. Who cared if she had allergies? It was about time I got out of here! I could finally live the dream, all thanks to that little girl! I'd evolve into a Groudon and make my own universe! Maybe I'll make my own village like Machamp do! Or I could even eat a Shaymin salad! Did they even make those?

"You're acting like an idiot," a sulking Growlithe called, burying his head under the straw. "Stop; you're giving me a headache!"

But I couldn't stop running in circles. I just couldn't help myself! Freedom at_ last_! I had to stop, however, when the young girl grabbed me again--rather roughly around my midsection—and lifted me high into the air. I wiggled at the sudden turn of elevation.

"So is he all mine?" she asked curiously, handing me to the elderly man.

"Yup. All five dollar's worth," he mumbled, fastening some sort of contraption on my neck. I couldn't exactly see what it was, but since it was light and didn't hurt, it wasn't like I cared. I was too excited that, by the time she'd gathered her things and was heading out the door, I exploded and covered her face in tons of licking. I had to thank her somehow.

She playfully shoved me away and placed me on the ground. I didn't run away. I couldn't, could I? I finally had someone to love me. With her books, she held them horizontally in her arms, like a plate with food on it. Without being ordered to, I leaped up on it and sat down, trying to make a good impression.

As she began walking again, she informed me of several things. "Your name is Princess Candy," she told me brightly, overlooking the fact that I just happened to be the opposite of female. "And you'll be the queen of our house!" King. I smiled as I changed her word inside my head. A king. I'd be a king. Kings were better than princes, after all. They ruled everything. "I want you to be an Espeon! They're more suited to be princesses, you know."

Stop. Hold up.

…What'd she say?

I let my royal pose sway. Cautiously I looked upwards, her face gazing gleefully down at me. She couldn't understand me, but I hoped she'd understand the tone of my voice. I tilted my head curiously and put on my best lost look. "_Eev, Eevee?_"

"Yup," she informed with an achingly happy smile. "You'd be an Espeon. They're pink, and since that's my favorite color you're going to be an Espeon! How does that sound?"

I flattened my ears. I wanted to evolve into a Groudon, not into some sort of girly thing.

She didn't seem persuaded by my nonexistent response. "Oh? You'd rather evolve into an Umbreon?"

An Umbreon. I'd seen one before, so I had a better idea of what she was talking about. They were black with round circles all over them. Since I only saw them during night, it was really hard to tell anything about them.

A Groudon. I wanted to evolve into a Groudon. I gazed up at her with hopeful eyes. "_Eevee!_"

"You can't evolve into an Eevee." she stated, matter-of-factly. Did she not understand that I didn't want to evolve into an Eevee? I had clearly stated 'Groudon.' "You're going to evolve into an Espeon, Princess Candy."

I was silent, unsure on how to respond. I was incredibly glad when I didn't, but I found I'd rather respond than face what happened next. The next thing I knew, there was a large, heavyset woman in front of us. I cowered under her size. She looked like she was going to fling me across the city.

"Mom?" the girl questioned quickly. Her voice seemed to quiver as she said the next part, but that may've just been me. "Look, Mommy! I got an Eevee. Her name is Princess Can—"

"Put that filthy thing down!" her mother roared, ignoring her sentence and cutting it off rather abruptly.

I paused as I felt my glare return. I was not filthy. I just smelled bad. To try and stay on my throne, I picked up a paw and licked it regally. Everyone needed a little stink in their home, didn't they?

The girl noticed me. She dropped her books with a loud thump and snatched me before I fell alongside them. "Look, Mom! She's making herself pretty. We won't have to give her baths!"

The older woman crossed her arms angrily. "Young lady, I will _not_ have that flea-infested beast in my home. Put it down this instant!"

"But I spent my whole birthday money on her, Mommy!" she protested, tightening her grip on me. I squirmed in worry. She was starting to hurt my insides by now, and I was sensing the vibe of an unpleasant emotion from her. "Please, can't I…?"

"No! You're supposed to be in school. What will your father say about this?" the older woman barked, taking her hand. With her other hand she pushed me out onto the concrete.

I smacked clean on it, not expecting the sudden blow. Pain radiated throughout my body, but not more so at the shoulder I had forcibly landed on. On the ground, I let out a very angry, startled cry. When I opened my eyes, there was a dab of red liquid a few centimeters from where I landed. I picked up my head, turning it in the direction of the two related humans.

They were arguing, but it was easy to see the more commanding one was gaining the upper hand. As she still had her child in her grip, the mother turned around in fury and dragged her daughter down the street. The child was crying, trying to break free as she clawed at the space in my direction. They soon disappeared.

I wondered why they had to tell their father at all, but I quickly diminished the thought as I started limping after them. I stopped halfway, realizing my shoulder was getting worse with each throb. I licked it, hoping to calm it down. As I did, my thoughts raced.

I was free. I was finally blessed by Jirachi; I was _free_! I could always find another owner to be loved by. And, although my heart longed to be with the little girl, I knew I could not be truly happy with her. I hadn't ever heard of an Espeon before, so I didn't want to be forced to evolve into something that I had no information on. An Umbreon would be okay, but I'd like to know more about them.

Besides, I still wanted to be a Groudon.


	3. On His Own

Things start picking up in the next chapter. Thanks for making it this far!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Eevee, Mightyena, Persian, Pidgey, or anything else related to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this fic.**

--

I remained flat on the ground for quite a few moments, trying to figure out where to go and what to do. I didn't really have to worry about any threats, seeing as people simply stepped over or around me, but I couldn't help to wonder why none of them were picking me up or making a fuss over how ridiculously cute I was. Since they didn't in that shop, I suppose the real world wouldn't be different when judging a book by its cover anyways.

My stomach grumbled, instantly settling me on my first task—finding a decent meal. I struggled to get up, flexing my injured shoulder cautiously. When I was sure I wasn't going to fall over, I set off to look for something edible.

The city towering over me wasn't like any other city. It was somewhat smaller with less people and cars, but it certainly did have the massive amounts of stereotypical restaurants and garbage bins you see in them. My paws eventually took advantage of the food stores, carrying me to a nearby alley directly next to one of them.

My first plan was to get in by the back door, maybe even busting down a window like I saw a Dragonite do once. However that all changed when I saw a garbage can toppled over on its side. Because it was spilling out all those delicacies—half-eaten hamburgers, warm nachos and cheese, stale bread—a small group of matching Dark-type Pokemon were huddled over it, gnawing on its contents.

It was best to be kind and ask before simply barging in, so I walked up and inquired cheerfully, "Hiya! Can I have some of that, too?"

By their reactions, they did not expect to look up and see a friendly young Eevee next to them, eagerly wagging his tail. The first one, a rather large gray-and-white dog-like creature, rumbled angrily, "What are you doing over here?"

I tilted my head, unsure of what the Mightyena meant. "I'm… hungry?" It sounded more of a question than a statement, but I continued on. "So I was wondering if I could… you know, have some, too?"

"This isn't a place for brats. Get lost," the second one muttered hatefully. Not two seconds after that, he quickly changed his mind, unsheathing his thick claws. To me he growled, "Then again, you look quite tasty. Boss, can I have first dibs?"

First dibs on what? Me? I backed up cautiously, knowing when I was going to be in trouble. This prompted the group of Mightyena to leave the meal and pay attention to me. The first one threateningly stalked up to me, grinning. "How about whoever gets to him first?"

"Yeah, that sounds good to me," a third answered, licking his lips. He held up a paw brimmed with a dark energy—Dark Pulse? He must've knew about my Run Away ability because he barked, "Go on and run, you little runt! We_ love_ fast food!"

I obeyed his demand without hesitating, stumbling over piles of trash as I tore out of the alley. I think they were merely trying to scare me because when my ability switched off, they weren't chasing me. I didn't even see them anywhere during the time I spent looking around warily.

I plopped on the concrete. So much for some nachos. I made a mental note in my head to _never_ evolve into a Mightyena. So now what was I to do...? I could always go and beg at people's feet. Oh, yeah! They loved the cute brown eyes. I stood up to walk to a nearby couple, but a new voice caused me to stop in my tracks.

"Hey, you! Eevee!"

For a brief moment I thought the Mightyena had come back to devour me, but it clicked in my mind that every Mightyena I'd seen there were male Pokemon. This voice was female.

I looked around quickly and, seeing nothing addressing me, I questioned, "Me?"

"Of course. You're the only Eevee around, aren't you?" she called again. When she noticed I wasn't looking at her, the voice remained talking. "I'm behind you, young one."

I turned to look at the area adjacent to my eyesight. In it was another of those buildings but in a small niche between two houses there was a wooden crate with a slender cat-like Pokemon laying half in and half out of it. She was chewing on a clean bone, which made my stomach leap.

I could sense she wasn't going to hurt me even if she wanted too, because this white Pokemon was old and stiff with her movements. The large cat beckoned to me with her curled tail. "Yeah, I'm the one you hear. Are you lost, little-bit?"

"Y-yeah. You're not going to hurt me, are you?" I asked cautiously. I obeyed her signal. Since she was lying down on her stomach, I tried crouching down to her level.

The Normal-type let out a small, hearty laugh. "Why, no. I can't resist kids who have a bad day. Are you hungry?" she added, pushing a meat-covered bone towards me.

I felt my mouth drool in apprehension, but I still didn't want to be rude. This Persian was nicer than the rowdy gang I'd encountered earlier. "You don't mind?"

She was talking in a dull tone, but she nodded her massive head to show a yes. "Of course I don't. I've already eaten my fill, darling."

She pushed a small bone towards me. It was covered in something brown and when I stuck my teeth in it, it was incredibly warm. "Whoa!" Before any food could fall out of my mouth, I swallowed some. Since I no longer had food in my mouth to muffle my speech, I asked her again, "What is this? It tastes very good!"

"Of course it does. It's fried Pidgey. All omnivorous Pokemon like it." I blinked before picking up my gaze to look at her. When she detected I had no idea what the larger word meant, she added, "It means Pokemon who eat both meat and plants."

"Oh. Thank you, ma'am," I answered before tearing into the meal again. Whatever 'fried' Pidgey was, I continued chewing on the bone, long after the meat had disappeared. Even though my belly was content now, it was just so delicious. I had to have more.

The old Persian watched me for a moment before getting up and stretching her limbs. During a yawn she told me, "Well, Eevee. I suppose you should be going home now. Take care of yourself, okay?"

She began walking off, but her pace stopped when I told her, "But I don't have a home. That's why I was so hungry."

Her ears pricked, and she looked over her shoulder at me. "But you have a collar. Certainly you must belong to someone."

I wondered why she seemed so surprised. Pokemon with owners lived in houses and willingly participated in battles, not on streets and having to fight for food. "No. I'm actually waiting to find someone who'll want me. And love me, too! And feed me Shaymin Salad! And evolve me into a Groudon! And…" I was babbling on and on, but I couldn't help it.

By now, the Persian's curiosity was increasing to a peak, and she was no longer turned away from me. Sensing my childish lecture wasn't going to end soon, she interrupted instantly, blinking sleepily. "You mean you're a stray? Stray Pokemon do not last long in cities. They either get killed in fights or hit by cars."

That did not sound pleasant. But didn't wild Pokemon get caught in balls or something? I didn't want to die; I just wanted to be loved. I could've sworn my voice trembled, but I tried to sound brave. I puffed out my chest, trying to seem threatening in contrast to my timid voice. "So what do I do…? I don't have any owners."

The Persian was silent for a moment in thought, until she finally stated bluntly, "Lucifur. He'd have to be your best bet."

Lucifer was a human's name! I felt a smile on my face. Because Eevee could evolve into practically anything, I was sure he'd want me. The Persian gazed on silently as I bounced around joyously. But that was then I remembered how nobody wanted the Evolution Pokemon that had been in stuffed in a window a few hours earlier.

"I didn't say Lucifer, honey. I said Luci_fur_." I didn't really hear much of a difference between the two names, but I really wanted to know more about this new character.

She answered my unasked questions with: "Lucifur takes in any lost or stray Pokemon—but there's a catch. He only takes Pokemon with the potential to evolve into Electric-type Pokemon. Since you have Jolteon, it's your lucky day."

How many times do I have to make it clear that I want to be a Groudon? I'd never heard of a Jolteon before in my life. For safety I inquired, "But I don't have to evolve into a Jolteon, right? Can I turn into something else?"

I was relieved when she answered, "Of course. Once he takes you in, you can evolve into anything, be it Leafeon or Glaceon. But you _have_ to either be an Electric-type or able to evolve into one when you first join."

Oh, how awesome! A mega-Groudon stomping among Electric-type Pokemon! That just made my day. I can imagine it now—roaring with anger as a bunch of Pichu flee in fear! I burst out laughing, but when the Persian stared at me prosaically, I straightened up. "So he favors Electric-type Pokemon? …Why?"

"I don't know." The Persian shrugged, yawning again. "That's just Lucifur's thing."


	4. Midnight Chaos

I like the "Someone seriously needs to teach this kid about evolving." Of course, you all know that I love your reviews, right? As for knowing about Groudon and not Espeon, I would say it's probably because Groudon is a legendary Pokemon whereas Espeon isn't.

By the way, the Pichu in this chapter is from another story of mine called "Waiting." Don't worry too much if you haven't read it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Eevee, Pichu, Luxio, Raichu, Articuno, Raikou, or anything else related to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this fic.**

.........

The kind old Persian soon abandoned me shortly after our conversation, as she didn't really know that much about this Lucifur guy, much less where he lived. After I thanked her, I sat down on a garbage can lid, wondering how to find this trainer. I didn't know much about humans except that they were too stupid to speak in the Pokemon language, leaving me stuck with a bunch of Pokemon. And since he liked Electric-type Pokemon, I guess it'd make sense to ask an Electric-type Pokemon where this boy was at.

It took me a few tries to finally find an Electric-type Pokemon in the city who didn't want to eat me. It was just on the verge of dusk when I found it—not exactly night, but not daytime either. And more importantly, this Pokemon was my age, so it'd understand me perfectly!

The Pokemon I'm talking about is a young female Pichu who was seated comfortably on a green dumpster in a nearby alleyway. She was attempting to count the glistening stars in the sky, whispering quadruple-digit numbers aloud. She was alone, so thankfully we wouldn't be disturbed.

"Hi, Pichu!" I yipped brightly, wagging my tail. The yellow Pokemon canceled her counting, whipping around wide-eyed to stare at me. By the look on her face that followed, I'll bet she was glad that I wasn't a Mightyena intent on biting her checkmark tail. "What are ya doing?"

She relaxed her muscles and blinked, tilting her head and giving me quite the odd one-word response. "Waiting."

At first I didn't know what she meant, but then it clicked: perhaps she was like me, waiting for some owners to come and pick her up! I smiled happily, glad I could at last find someone I could relate to. "Me too!"

She seemed startled for some reason, placing a small yellow paw to her open mouth. "Really, Mister Eevee? Are you… okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah! I'm fine." Within a few seconds later, I managed to scramble up on the dumpster beside her, giving her a friendly lick. She didn't move as I inquired, "You're an Electric-type Pokemon, right?"

She nodded, finally looking calm again. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so freaked in the first place. Maybe she hated Mightyena as much as I did now. "Yup."

"Do you know where Lucifur is?"

She blinked once or twice, scratching the black tip of a pointy ear in pondering. I continued sitting patiently, glancing at the stars. She was missing so many, so I thought I'd count the ones she didn't get in return. Just as I counted towards the fifties, she grabbed my attention again, pointing to a rather large building a few houses down.

"He lives on the second floor of the garage, I think. I haven't lived there in forever. He might've moved, though. The other humans don't like him all that much." I lowered my ears. Ouch. Even_ humans_ hated some of their own kind… But they invented hamburgers. How could they hate each other with that fact in mind?

Just as I was about to say something else, the Pichu suddenly blurted out, "Oh, no! I lost count! And I was on 6,707, too!"

Whoa! Now _that_ was a huge number. I didn't even know how much that was! This Pichu must've taken math lessons or something. It was barely night, but she'd already gotten to that high amount. That's just _wow_. When she began to start over, looking quite crestfallen, I informed her happily, "Don't worry! I counted forty-seven stars for you." If she could count that high, maybe she knew addition—unlike me.

"Thank you, Mister Eevee! Thank you so much!" she cried, grabbing me in a small hug. Since she was able to walk bipedal and I wasn't, the only thing I could do was lay my head on her furry shoulder. Finally she released me. "Thank you! Would you like me to get a star for you?"

I gaped, backing up a step in shock. "Oh, my Articuno! You can really do that?" She shot me a polite smile, bobbing her adorable head up and down. "Please! Yes, I'd like one!"

"Okay," she answered, raising a paw triumphantly in the air. "That's one star for Mister Eevee! I'll give it to you sometime later, okay?" I mimicked her head gesture. _Anything_ to get a star! I'd have to ask her how many she counted. I bet there's more stars than there are fleas in my fur!

Just as I took a flying leap off of the reeking dumpster to leave, she called after me in a pleasant voice, "Don't talk to strangers, Mister Eevee! My parents always said it was bad to do that." I bounced my head to acknowledge her warning. Strangers were creatures you didn't know, so you should _never _talk to them.

I left soon after, trying to figure out just what a garage was. Since the Pichu had pointed to a building it was only logical to assume that it would be a garage. After avoiding a few cars, I managed to make it across the wide pavement towards the stone construction. It was dark now, the full moon shining brightly in the sky. It wasn't enough to make out what the faded sign on the large, lowered door said, but it wasn't like I knew how to read. I'm not a nerd.

Thank goodness no humans were walking outside of the cars, because someone surely would've seen me as I pawed around the building—not to find a group of Mightyena gnawing on nachos, no. Instead I found a few wooden stairs in the back, the kind you'd see on someone's old-fashioned porch.

They were quite dusty and unpainted, signaling they hadn't been used much recently. I tested the bottom rung, placing a brown paw on it curiously before putting my entire weight on it. When I didn't fall through, I took a hesitant step. Just as I did, I tasted the air. Everything smelled safe, so I continued climbing until I reached a large flat piece of 'land' in front of a locked door matching the unkempt steps.

I sniffed the air again. Nothing.

Briefly I wondered how to open it, at least until my dark eyes noticed a small section of the door that had been nibbled through by possibly a Bibarel or a Raticate. It was an average hole, perfect for a Pokemon my size to wriggle past. I did just this. My tail got caught, unfortunately, on a rusty hinge. I had to yank it free before trying to drink in my surroundings.

Lucifur certainly lived in a _dump_. The cold room was what I guessed to be a parlor, but my judgment was hindered by an overturned dining table, complete with tipped chairs. A broken television was trapped beneath a few fallen dishes and curtains. In one corner a pile of dirty bed sheets and blankets were tangled with a couch. Just in the middle of the room was a smaller table, round and flat without a single item on top.

But that wasn't what got my attention. Forget what that old geezer said, this room was drowned by Pokemon! A small blue Shinx was curled up between a game console and the television, a Pachirisu was snugly asleep on a dresser, and a Minun was busy chasing something invisible in his dreams. I even saw some Pokemon that I'd never seen before.

There had to be at least _fifty_ in that one little room. I felt my mouth gape in shock for a moment. If this was how _one _room appeared, I'd hate to see what the entire building held within. They were all asleep or too far off to care about me, but I don't see how they slept with the small chill the broken windows were letting in.

I glanced back and forth between the mass of sleeping Pokemon scattered across the room. Finally I decided it was best to ask them all instead of individually, so I did the only thing I could think of. I leaped on top of the small table in the middle of the room, tilted my head back, and screamed out a question as loud as my little lungs could yell.

"Does anybody here know who or where Lucifur is?!"

If anything, this certainly got their attention. Several Pokemon leaped up six feet in the air, crashing into one another as they suddenly exited their dream world. The younger Pokemon began wailing miserably from their much-needed naps, and the more aggressive Pokemon arched their backs at me, rose their fur if they had any, and let out a ferocious growl as if I really were a Groudon.

I let out a whimper. I should really think ahead. I didn't expect them to get upset with me and rip me apart. My ability certainly wouldn't come in handy during this situation, as every exit became blocked, guarded by the stronger Pokemon. I looked around wildly as angry shouts surrounded me from all sides.

"Who on _earth_ let this guy in?! He's nothing but a little _rat_! "

"Hey, he's someone's Pokemon! Let's rip him up and let him see how _we_ feel!"

"You stupid Eevee! My baby's crying, and it's _all _your fault!"

By now, those who had been in a dream daze were recovering, baring their white fangs at me. Those who relied on scent to respond were definitely aware of the unfamiliar scent I carried. I lowered my ears, discouraged and unsure about what to do. I didn't mean for things to turn out this way. The entire electric population seemed ready to kill me.

Everyone continued caterwauling, at least until I finally heard a supportive voice raise his above all the chaos. "Stop! This isn't how we behave! Everybody, calm down; calm down! What's gotten into you all?"

I remained looking around curiously as the fuss gradually died down. If there were at least one Pokemon on my side, I was prepared to stick with him. I did not want to get mauled. I continued searching my audience's frustrated eyes. Any second I expected Lucifur to barge into the room, but the human was probably out at the moment or else he would have come running at all the noise.

A Pokemon nearly triple my height leaped up behind me, causing me to spin around and face him in fear. But when he barked angrily at the audience, I recognized his voice as the one that had silenced the others. "This is ridiculous! He's just a lost _Eevee_, for Raikou's sake!" His lecture to the crowd bored me instantly, as I had no idea what he was talking about. This allowed me to get a good look at him.

The Pokemon beside me was blue all over, the back legs darker to match the spiky, navy blue fur on his head. Except for yellow insides to his ears, a star-tipped tail, and two parallel lines on his forepaws, he was the exact same shade of sapphire. He looked similar to a Shinx, but just different somehow.

He sharply turned to me, glaring in annoyance at my confused face. "What are you doing here? This gang isn't a place for kids. Go back home." Wow! This was a gang? Cool! Did they sing songs, too? The gangs I heard on the shop's radio sang awesome music that I still didn't understand.

I was busy smiling at the gangster thought, so I didn't respond. The Luxio glared angrily at me, yellow eyes meeting brown. "I asked you a question, and I expect you to answer it."

It took me a moment and, seeing the furious gazes, I figured it would be best to answer the question instead of remarking that they acted like _Sinnoh's Most Wanted_. "Well, I… I don't have a home. So someone told me to come up here and... Well, hello!"

The blue Pokemon narrowed his eyes as some of the other Pokemon exchanged glances. When the larger Pokemon didn't say anything else, a Pachirisu shouted angrily, "Let's drive him out of here! We're being spied on! They're out to get us, I tell you!"

The Luxio ignored it. He opened his mouth to say something to me, but a Magnemite beeped in a dull and apathetic tone, "This is stupid, Riley. They are out to get Lucifur again. We must remove this Pokemon at once. How shall we get rid of him? I suggest throwing him out the window."

The Luxio muttered something under his breath about how society was falling apart. I looked back and forth during this conversation, not yet settling on when I should speak. Finally the Luxio—apparently _he_ was Riley—mumbled, "Look. I'm Lucifur's best Pokemon. Not you. And until you do become one, these decisions are mine to make."

I wagged my tail, grinning. "So are you Lucifur's main battling Pokemon? I heard that he would take care of me! Take me to your leader!" Some of the other Pokemon chuckled for some reason, which was kind of opposing their initial reactions. Perplexed, I hesitated, staring about the room. Riley let out a heavy, fed up sigh.

"Look, kid, who are you?"

I didn't have a name, but no way was I about to admit that out loud. Since these Pokemon were the tough type—and there was the possibility I could be one of them—I stuck out my puffy chest, lowered my voice to that of a masculine male, raised my chin, and stated the best name I could think of:

"My name is Prince—err, _King_ Bartholomew Williamson Beauregard Armstrong,"—I paused for dramatic effect—"the Fifth."

Contrary to my original thought that the group would bow down and worship me like I was a god, laughter erupted from all around, releasing the thick tension in the air. I looked around curiously, wondering what was so hilarious. The only Pokemon that didn't react was the Luxio who had confronted the group, so I turned to him in wonder.

Tilting my head, I inquired, "I don't get it. What's so funny?"

Riley remained in his irritated pose, flicking his ears distastefully. He didn't answer my question. Instead he growled in annoyance, "This isn't a joke, young man. What's your name?"

"That _is_ my name!" I protested, trying to glare the best a small and fuzzy creature could. "It's so awesome, isn't it?"

The Luxio rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth. "If it's your name, then say it again."

I optimistically opened my mouth to respond—at least until I realized that I had no idea what I had just said my name was. I remained without a voice, slowly closing my mouth again.

"That's what I thought," the Luxio snorted. "Now get out. You two," he added, turning his gaze to a pair of Plusle and Minun that had been guarding the same entrance I had come through. "Get this guy out of here. We don't need children wandering around here."

The mouse Pokemon nodded, saluting the older Pokemon. I opened my mouth again to object, wanting to say something along the lines of, "I don't have a home! That's why I'm here!" I couldn't due to intimidation, so I could only watch as they began advancing on me.

"That's quite enough. What's going on?"

Who said that? It couldn't be Lucifur because the voice was talking in the Pokemon language. The two Cheering Pokemon froze in their tracks, stepping aside as the spectators grew silent.

Riley flattened his ears in disappointment. He slammed his eyes shut, talking to himself. "Oh,_ drat_." Finally, forcing a thin voice out in explanation, "This Eevee's been hanging around, trying to run us out. He says he's homeless, but as you can clearly see he does have a trainer."

I have a trainer? Why do they think that?

The crowd in the direction of the voice parted aside to reveal a bulky Raichu, walking towards us. But he was quite the odd Pokemon. He reminded me of a bronze trophy—the lightning bolt-shaped tail and his ears were a darker shade of yellow. His uneven fur was supposed to be a light orange instead of a deep red-orange. Even the two stripes on his back seemed darker. All in all, he didn't look like a regular Raichu.

"Move it, Riley," the Raichu bluntly stated, shoving the Luxio out of his way. To my surprise, the push was so hearty it knocked the Spark Pokemon off of the round table we were on. Then to me: "Don't you have an owner?" While he said this, he used a stubby, sepia paw to flick the thing around my neck.

"Nope!" I informed positively, "That's why I want to see Lucifur! Do you think he'll use me to conquer the world?"

"Yeah, I guess that would be nice…" The oddly-colored Raichu crossed his short arms, looking deep in thought. "But if you don't have a trainer, why do you have that collar around your neck?"

"This?" I wondered, looking down to a shiny circle that was dangling from what I could see of the human's contraption. "I don't know. This person put it on me for some reason, and then he gave me away to this girl. And then her mom threw me on the ground! And so this Persian saw everything, and she told me to find Lucifur. So I went to—"

"We _get_ the point," growled Riley from beneath us, standing up again and looking uninjured. "But Lucifur won't fall for that. It's obvious you belong to someone and you're after him."

Was Lucifur wanted by the cops or something? I cocked my head to one side in confusion. "Why would I do that?"

"Because all the humans want Lucifur," Riley responded simply. "Why do you think we don't trust human-trained Pokemon at all?"

Wait. So they _wanted_ him? Didn't that intelligent Pichu tell me that Lucifur was despised by the humans? I was confused enough, so I didn't know how to respond to this. I suggested, "You hate them?"

"Riley hates them. But we don't," the Raichu interrupted, holding up a paw to silence the Luxio. "It's just that human's Pokemon always come up here and try to capture us. Every single time they do, we have to move to a different location so we won't be stolen or killed."

"Is Lucifur a hobo?" I gasped in awe, my eyes wide and mouth hanging. Perhaps the other humans were chasing him but hated him because he was unable to pay his bills or something.

The Raichu scratched the back of his head in bewilderment as Riley rolled his eyes. "Technically, he is… I guess…?" The last sentence was in a low voice due to lack of information. Either that, or they had realized that I had ignored their previous statements and was most likely going to overlook any further details.

"Who are you? Are you a member of this gang?" I asked in amazement, changing the subject while wagging my bushy tail. The Raichu still looked like he was trapped in his mind, but he nodded half-heartedly with a paw on his chin. "Then take me to your leader!" I repeated. Again, everyone burst out laughing, causing me to survey the surrounding Pokemon. "Why is that so funny?"

"I really don't know," the Raichu answered, looking like he was trying to figure out how a Giratina could walk with six legs. What had he been doing all this time? Pondering the universe? "Did you say you had a name?"

"Yup! King… Fernando Maximilian Alcatraz Mondavarious the Second!"

"Arceus," Riley grumbled, lowering his head so that it rested on his paws. Everyone continued giggling. "This is going to take _forever_."


	5. Riley's Requests

Guess who's been sick! Yup, me. I missed last Saturday's update because of it and I'm sorry about that. This was supposed to be up yesterday, too, but my school is too stupid to call off a day or two even when eighty-five percent of the student body are missing. But anyways, I've had some work to make up where I was out, so that's why this one's a little later than usual.

For some reason or another, I get the feeling I messed up somewhere on this chapter. I have no idea why.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Eevee, Luxio, Raichu, Skitty, Arceus, or anything else related to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this fic.**

.........

"Wait, stop!" Riley gasped in horror when I reached the fortieth word in my new attempt at a name. "So are you trying to say you don't _have_ a name?" I didn't respond. I just… couldn't. When I lowered my ears, he sounded stunned. "But that's preposterous! All Pokemon have a name of some sort, especially those who live with humans…"

I couldn't help but look away in embarrassment. "Well…" I tried to look assertive. "I don't live with humans, so I don't have name! Besides, all the human girls like Skitty and…"

"What do Skitty have to do with anything?" the Raichu interrupted, scratching his head in bewilderment.

I whipped around so that I was toward his direction, wagging my tail and happy to change the subject. "Remember the girl who bought me? She was a little girl, too! But she didn't fall for the Skitty, so she bought me."

Riley looked way up to the ceiling as he let out a sigh. I stared up there too, but I didn't see anything except some dirty plaster and a few cobwebs. Finally he muttered, "We don't need this, Arceus…" Then, louder and addressing me again, "Look, you just said someone was your trainer. Didn't she give you a name?"

I paused. "Well, sort of..." Riley and the Raichu nodded, waiting patiently for me to go on. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "She called me Princess Candy…"

This group must have thought everything I said was hilarious, because I expected what came next—a roar of thunderous laughter sounding from all corners. Even Riley had to crack a smile, but he quickly hid his face so nobody would see it.

The walking bronze trophy beside me was rolling around in laughter, clutching his sides and giggling like mad. Finally, when the laughter died down, he stood up, rubbing a tear from his coconut-colored eyes. "Oh, I like this guy. He has to stay in!"

"No!" shrieked everyone, waving a frantic paw or appendage in the air. Did I really smell _that_ bad? I began sniffing the air again, but scented only the musky, warm scent of the miniature room.

Unfortunately, I was caught off guard yet again, but this time it was thanks to a fellow Pokemon—the Raichu. He had ignored the protests and had leaped in the air. And when I suddenly felt his sixty-six pounds of weight on my spine, I couldn't help but let out an angry cry of pain as my legs buckled under me.

"Whoa! Get off of me!" I squealed, squirming under the heavy paperweight. He ignored my pleas, raising a burnt-brown paw to the air as if in a march.

"Well, if he's going to be one of us, he has to say goodbye to the collar!"

Even though my organs were screaming in agony, I felt a soar of hope. I'd belong somewhere! Although I didn't know if Lucifur would accept me for sure, at least one Pokemon was with me. Two, if you count Riley, but he was obviously reluctant, raising an eyebrow in shock at the Mouse Pokemon's actions.

At least, I _thought_ he was with me. At that moment, there was a sudden and harsh pressure on my throat. I instantly panicked, choking and sputtering when I realized the Raichu was pulling on the collar, and he was tugging intensely. Because I had nowhere to go, I could only writhe in an attempt to get oxygen.

Thankfully, the Luxio came to my aid, launching into the Raichu's side and giving me some much needed space. I began coughing, struggling to feed my lungs of the air it had been deprived of. "Lucifur, you fool! That's not how you take off a collar! You'll choke him to death!"

I was too busy trying to sooth my starving lungs, but I did catch the name of the human in his sentence. What'd he do, mispronounce the Raichu's name? I was too occupied to ask this. Instead, I stared after the two tussling Pokemon. The Raichu was the one who lost and as such, he tumbled off the table.

"What you have to do is bite it off—like this," the Spark Pokemon demonstrated, baring his teeth and chomping down on my neck. I thought he was going to attack me and I cringed, but when I felt no pain, I curiously opened an eye again before finding a smile on my face.

"Yay! I'm alive!" I cheered, but a glare from Riley warned me to stay silent.

I finally managed to get a good look of the collar. It was hanging limply from his mouth, tattered and stretched from the Raichu's pulling. It was completely black except for a dangly yellow thing hanging from the middle. Riley tossed it aside.

"Stupid trash," he grunted in annoyance.

"So does this mean I'm in?" I asked in disbelief. I looked around, meeting the eyes of many—some annoyed, some intimidated, some angry.

Riley let out another sigh. "Well, I guess you are…" He mumbled something sounding suspiciously like a swear word, but I didn't catch it, causing me to tilt my head.

"So do I get a codename?"

"A—what?"

"A codename," I repeated, wagging my tail. I leaped up on his head, tugging playfully on his ears, but he didn't really seem to care. "Gangster people have awesome names, right? Can I be called Total Annihilation?"

He shook his head, causing me to roll to the floor. He finally let out a groan. "No. That only sounds good on something like an apocalyptic Pokemon…" As if he'd said a bad word, he instantly cringed. "Wait—before you…"

I buried myself in his chest. "Then call me Apocalypse!"

This time he shoved me off. A few of the watching Pokemon exchanged confused looks. Some were already back asleep, taking no further interest in my immature fantasies. "Look, first of all, I'm in charge here. So until further notice, you are nameless."

I couldn't help but shoot him a puzzled look. "What kind of a name is Nameless? It's, like, so… boring. And what about Lucifur? I'm sure your trainer would not like you bossing an innocent little Eevee around!"

"Train—?" Once again, Riley never finished his sentence. What was wrong with him? Did he have some sort of memory loss disorder? The irritated look on his face was suddenly replaced by an image of bizarreness. "Lucifur isn't a trainer."

"Is he a breeder, then? Oh! Is he one of those bullies that cops chase? Is that why everyone wants him?"

He ignored me. Again. He flicked with his star-tipped tail towards the dazed Raichu at the base of the table. He was standing on his head—no paws for support, nothing. It looked painful. "The Raichu—he's Lucifur. But he's so idiotic, I'm the one who runs things around here."

I was silent for an entire minute, which was an amazing achievement in itself. "Wait. So a Pokemon is Lucifur? Isn't Lucifur a human's name?"

Riley let out a heavy cough. "Lucifer is. Lucifur isn't." I seriously did not see what was so different about the names. Just as another thought struck me, Riley grumbled, "And before you yell it out—Riley's a human name, too."

My interest was mostly on the differently-colored Raichu. "I don't get it."

"No one does," the Luxio answered. "He's a shiny Pokemon that obsesses over Electric-type Pokemon and doesn't have a sensible state of mind. That's why the humans are all after him. They've even been…" He shivered. "Ugh…"

I hesitated before turning to stare at him blankly. "What…?"

Silence. Riley heaved a breath. "Nothing."

"Okay, that… hurt." Both of us looked to the Raichu below us. Lucifur was still on his head, frowning and looking quite hurt. But the way he said the sentence was so erratic and delayed, my only response was to gape. In fact, it was delayed for nearly ten minutes. He had been flat on his head this entire time. "What are you two going on about?"

As if he were talking to the sky, Riley looked upwards and mumbled, "Did you say this kid was in?"

"…I don't know. Did I?"

I barked an affirmative answer, giving the lion-like Pokemon no choice but to pale as he suddenly jabbed me in the chest with a striped paw. "Stay out of this, I said!" I blinked. He didn't say anything like that, at least from what I could remember.

The Mouse Pokemon finally got up, wobbling a bit from the head rush. "Okay, so he's in." A few of the other Pokemon let out moans of annoyance. "Just don't blast us with something like Hyper Beam…"

"I can learn Hyper Beam?!" I yelped, my eyes shining.

Riley rolled his eyes. "Great. Now 'Nameless' will never shut up." He turned to face me. "No. You can't learn Hyper Beam unless you evolve."

Oh, my Mesprit. A _Groudon_ with _Hyper Beam_.

Sensing the willful expression on my face, Riley instantly flinched, looking like he was going to be ill. "Wha—oh, Arceus… I said something, didn't I?"

I turned to him, putting on my best childish face and making my voice small and cute. "Oh, it's nothing. Just one day, I'll be destroying you all." He was completely speechless, topped off with his mouth hanging open. "Um—so now what do I do?"

The Luxio blinked a few more times before rapidly glancing to his sides. He commanded, "Go and find me something to eat. Preferably something that you'd find outside…" He lowered his voice, saying something else that sounded like a reason to get me out of here.

"Okey-dokey!" I answered, smiling again. I tugged on the Raichu, who was nearly asleep—_standing up_. I want to try that sometime! "Hey, where can I find some food?"

Completely silent with exhaustion, Lucifur pointed in a random direction. I glanced in it before screeching a thanks. By the time I'd returned and managed to fix everything that I had destroyed during the process, Lucifur was gone. As a matter of fact, he was curled up, asleep, using an Electrike as a pillow. That looked comfy. I gawked at him as I rolled up a shiny red apple I'd found on a table.

Without so much as uttering a word of gratefulness, the lion chomped down into it. And the moment he did, he got the most disgusted look on his face. He dropped the apple and spat out what he'd chewed before kicking the apple so that it hit an unsuspecting Pichu on the head, who woke up and feebly began crying.

The Luxio rounded on me, looking just like the girl's mother did when she flung me from the child's arms. As if just now realizing I was a part of the group, he instantly hid his teeth again and forced himself to relax. "Okay, see… Here's the problem. That apple was made of wax. I'd prefer something… you know…" He stated it cleanly: "Edible."

"Edible?" I echoed. "I don't know any sort of food named Edible… Is it something exclusive to another region or any—?"

"Be quiet," he instructed. Pleased to make him happy, I obliged. He didn't even seem one bit joyful when I obeyed. "It's late. Go to bed. You can find me something else to eat in the morning."

"Whoa! Am I going to be like a maid?" Awesome! "So that means I can make stuff, right? Can I make some condiments like Groudon do? I mean… uh… continents?"

"Go. To. Bed." Each word he growled was said individually and in such a strong tone, I wondered if he'd had any naps recently. It was after midnight, after all. His teeth were even gritted, completing the idea of a grumpy Luxio.

I glanced around the room. When I saw nothing that looked suitable to sleep on, I turned back to the blue Pokemon. "So where's bed?"

.........

From what I could gather up the next few days, Lucifur's gang was just a large group of weak or lost Electric-type Pokemon that lived in the loft. They weren't really a gang. 'A group of Pokemon that are afraid of the outside world' would be easier to describe them. They had never lived with humans. They had never known anything other than the fact that humans were always after them.

The reason for this was probably because of the Raichu, who was the one who ruled them all… sort of. He was alternately-colored, and according to one of the chatty Minun, 'shiny' Pokemon were rare. You had a better chance of seeing a Mew than a shiny Pokemon. Also from the Minun, Lucifur had evolved from a Pichu when he was still a baby, and not only that. He evolved from a Pikachu a few minutes later from a 'mangy' human who wanted a powerful Pokemon without any excess training, which probably explained his oddly childish nature.

As for Riley, well… I'm not too sure. He's not exactly the most talkative type you'll ever find. And I can't ask the other Pokemon because they usually inch away from me as if I were… I don't know, like an alien ghost who'd sprouted wings and wanted to gobble up their intestines. Riley was pretty much the only person who interacted with me, but even then it was to fetch him various items or do odd jobs. That's all I really did for quite a while.

One day he instructed me to find him a blanket.

"Why?" I inquired. He already had an army of them, snuggled under him whenever he slept. As a matter of fact… "You're on top of a million right now."

The Spark Pokemon looked down to his reclined paws, where a small navy-blue blanket was staring back up at him. Finally he shook his fur, scratching a few fleas with his hind claws as he glanced back at me. "You sleep _on_ me every single night, you know. And every time you do, I get some of your danged fleas."

I hesitated. "What's a flea?"

By now the Luxio knew it was better to explain than keep me deprived of knowledge. He placed his head on his paws again. "…It's this small thing that bites you and makes you itch. They reproduce like crazy, so I don't really want any."

"What's a reproduce?"

He didn't answer. "But anyway, you need your own place to sleep—and I'm not a very good mattress. I think there's a sheet over by the torn floorboards?"

I didn't know which to say first, so I merely attempted to merge my opinions together as I spoke. "Lucifur sleeps on an Electrike." As I said this, I flicked to the Raichu, who wasn't on the Electrike. Instead, he was busy flirting with a Pikachu, who merely shot him a tormented look because the Pikachu happened to be a male as well.

"Like I said, Lucifur's an idiot. I don't see how he even manages to wake up in the morning." He opened his mouth again, but I interrupted because I wasn't finished yet.

"And what about one of the blankets under you? Can't I just have one of those?"

Again, he lowered his eyes to meet the fabric beneath him. Then, suddenly, he faked a look of extreme pain that made me race to his side and inspect the danger. "I think I broke my leg yesterday...! A Golbat tried to bite it off. I can't really move it."

I gasped, "Oh, no! Are you okay?"

He nodded, covering a small grin. "Yeah. I think I'll live."

I shifted my weight on the other paw, looking away. I really didn't want him to die or anything. "Well, can I still sleep next to you? You have a built-in heater…" I fluffed out my young fur, which was still a light coat due to my own age. It certainly wouldn't be able to hide off any outside chill until a few months from now.

Riley didn't respond, seeming… remorseful? His small smirk suddenly turned into a sad frown. Maybe it was because I'd aggravate his injured leg. Before he could answer me, I told him happily, "Well, I can go and find you a blanket! By the torn-up floorboards, right?" I had been here for four days, so hopefully I knew where they were at.

He didn't make another sound as I went off to obey his request, watching me as I left. On my way to the destroyed wood panels, I passed two Pokemon—a Pachirisu and her child. The baby Pachirisu was busy chasing its tail in merriment, so I stopped to watch for a few seconds.

"Wow!" I told the mother, who instantly whirled around to face me. Apparently she didn't see me coming. "You have such a cute kid!"

The mother didn't even say a proper word, loaning me a small "Humph!" After that, she quickly gathered up her child, who began whining upon having its playtime being disturbed. She promptly left, leaving me in a mixture of confusion and sadness. I stared longingly after her before going on with my business and completing Riley's order. Pokemon can distinguish these things, and I did as well. My heart dropped.

Electric-type or not; Groudon or not; owned Pokemon or not.

They didn't want me there.


	6. Lost

I need an excuse for the wait... How does "I was too busy surfing on the moon" sound? Yeah, it sounds convicing! Let's go with that.

**Disclaimer: It should be pretty obvious by now that I don't own Pichu, Eevee, Raichu, or anything else relating to Pokemon seen or mentioned in this fic.**

.........

I woke up very early the morning after I answered Riley's request for a blanket. I didn't plan to—or even _want_ to, because if it were up to me I'd still be dreaming about someone who loved me. It took my sleepy eyes a moment to get adjusted to the darkness, and I yawned. When I was able to see again, I briefly scanned the room. All of the Pokemon were still asleep, some snoring or talking in their sleep. I hopped off the plaid blanket I had found and stretched.

It was then my stomach rumbled. I glanced down at my tummy the best I could, and then picked up my head again. I hadn't had much to eat last night, except for a few unwanted remnants of a berry. I think it was Pecha? Well, whatever it was, I was still hungry.

But what to do? I glanced outside through the chipped windows. The sky was a light blue, but I could see no sun. Perhaps it was the verge of daybreak. My eyes trailed back to Riley. The blue Pokemon had rolled over on his back in a doze. The plaid blanket had fallen off him in the process, and it plopped to the floor. For a moment I wondered if he would get cold, but then I figured it'd be best not to wake him. That Luxio had a horrible temper, after all.

Everyone was asleep, but I couldn't go to sleep again because Riley had moved and my blanket was on the floor now. If I put it back on him and then hopped on it myself, it'd probably awaken him and I'd receive a bunch of angry words. If I were to wake Lucifur, there's no telling what that silly Raichu would do. If I woke up anyone else, I'd probably just be ignored.

Ugh, I was hungry, bored, and…! …Well, maybe I was a little bit lonely, too. A lot of Electric-type Pokemon were mean to me, and the mothers of ones that _were_ my age made it obvious they wanted to avoid me. That's when I remembered something that placed a smile on my furry face—

The Pichu I met five days ago!

_She_ was nice to me, and _she_ didn't seem angry when I messed up her concentration on the stars! If that were Riley, I'd have lost my tail! Maybe she'd help me find food! Maybe she'd even have a decent conversation with me! Just judging by the gang's reactions when they looked at me, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I were to be absent for an hour or two.

I hopped off the table, being careful to land on something soft so I wouldn't make a noise. It worked—not a soul moved. Being careful to step around any sleeping Pokemon, I slowly advanced to the door I had first entered so many days ago. I managed to squeeze through it again, but I hesitated when I stepped on the first dusty step. I glanced back at Lucifur's gang, and that's when I realized something odd.

If Riley truly disliked me, why would he bother to let me sleep with him each night? He could always simply shove me to the cold, hard floor and tell me to stay there.

…Maybe it's the rules or something. It could be that there's not enough room on the ground. Whatever the case, I shrugged it off and began to step down to the ground. Once I was level with the earth again, I exhaled a loud sigh. Finally, I could make noise again!

Now, which way do I go? I had no idea where this Pichu lived, much less where any Pichu would normally live. The only conclusion I reached would be in Lucifur's gang, but I don't remember seeing her at all in there. Seeing as I wouldn't get anywhere by standing there, I began to head toward my right. That was the direction of the alley I found her in, so if I were lucky, I'd find her there again.

Yeah, that was a good idea. Pleased by my own cleverness, I puffed out my chest as I walked. I'm one smart Eevee! As I strolled, I searched around for my friend. That way, I wouldn't miss her if she happened to be near. By the time I reached the alley were she had been several nights before, I hadn't seen the Pichu at all. She wasn't in the alleyway, either.

I backed out of the narrow passage, feeling discouraged. Where could she be? There was a road in front of the sidewalk I was standing on, so I turned to that direction. It was early, meaning not many cars were out. I waited until it was clear and then quickly darted across.

After reaching the other side, I turned in the direction of the road again. A few cars were driving along now, unaware of the Eevee that had been trotting over it a few seconds before. I smiled, feeling proud of myself. I was very brave! I faced forward again and continued along.

A few hours later, I still hadn't found my newfound friend, and I was still hungry. The sun was high in the sky now, and Pokemon and people alike were buzzing around and talking to each other. Surely the gang would be up by now, and they'd notice they didn't have a nameless Pokemon among their ranks. What if they were out looking for me?

…No, they wouldn't do that. However, I did make a point to hide nearby if I happened to see an Electric-type Pokemon heading my way. Tired, hungry, lost and alone, I sat down. I had to be in the middle of a park of some sort—trees and grass were all around, but everything was tidy and a few artificial lamps and benches were placed here and there.

I hopped on one of the benches nearby, feeling crestfallen. It might not have been a good idea to search for that Pichu. Even more, it was probably a bad idea to avoid Electric-type Pokemon. Although they didn't like me back in Lucifur's gang, at I least had shelter there.

I finally settled down, placing my head on my paws and staring longingly at a few kids giggling and chasing each other in the grass. Their parents probably hated Pokemon, just like that little girl's mother did. Discouraged, I didn't bother to walk up to them. I remained where I was. Finally I had to hide my face in my paws.

_I wouldn't cry!_

A few seconds after I covered my face, I heard a grunt next to me, and the bench moved slightly, as if someone had sat on it. I had no choice but to pick up my head and look beside me. Next to me wasn't a Pokemon, it was a human! Too sad to move, I watched as this human pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and started to read it intently.

I stared at him for a second, then I averted my eyes when the human looked down at me. "Oh, sorry, little Eevee. I hope you don't mind me sitting here."

Wait, was he talking… to me? My ears pricked at the sound of his voice and I looked back at him. He gave my head a little rub, which actually felt pretty comfortable, and went back to his newspaper. How odd was that? If he hated me, why would he bother to talk to me? Maybe… maybe Riley was wrong. Not all humans were bad. At least he wasn't hurting me or calling me a feminine name like 'Princess Candy.'

Now I was interested. I continued to watch him. Every now and then, he'd turn a page. He reached one particular page and must've read something depressing, because suddenly his face softened and he sounded upset when he gasped, "That poor Pichu…"

He didn't read anything else after that. He folded it back up again, sat the newspaper on his lap, and held his head. Noticing I hadn't moved, he told me, "I can't stand going on after I've read something heartbreaking." He paused afterwards, and then placed a hand on his chin. "Hey, I recognize you—you're that Eevee who hangs around with all those Electric-type Pokemon."

I knew he couldn't understand me, so I bobbed my head up and down. Feeling slightly better, I got up so I could sit on my bottom again. At least someone knew who I was—even though I've never met this guy before.

"Yes, I thought so. You never really looked that happy with all those feral Pokemon." He was silent, looking thoughtful. "I can tell you're not really all that happy right now, either. What happened? Did a Weavile steal your food?"

I didn't know many Pokemon, and a Weavile would happen to be on that list. Seeing my blank expression, he didn't look annoyed like Riley would. Instead, the human scratched behind my ear.

"Well, whatever happened, I hope you feel better, little one." I closed my eyes and relaxed. Boy, this felt good. With his other hand the human paid attention to his wrist, where an analog watch was resting. "Whoa, it's past two! My wife's going to throw a fit when she realizes I've been gone way too long to get bread."

He stood up and stretched. His hand left my ear then, but I didn't feel disappointed. I actually felt better now that someone was paying attention to me—and that being positive attention, not the negative attention I usually receive.

"Bye, little Eevee. Hope you have a nice day."

He waved a goodbye before walking down the stony path heading towards the road. I did nothing for a minute and then hopped off the bench in pursuit. The human stopped when he saw me following him.

"Whoa, now!" he exclaimed when I caught up with him. "You're awfully brave for a wild Pokemon."

I rubbed on his leg, hoping he'd get what I was trying to tell him.

He was kind enough to bend down and stroke me again. This time when he straightened back up, he had me in his arms. He was gentle, I noticed, not playful nor rough like the little girl and her mother had been.

My holder looked down at me as he started moving again. "All right, young man. I get the picture. You want to come home with me, don't you?"

I nodded. Forget Riley and Lucifur, I was sure I'd be happier with this fellow. It's not like those Electric-types would miss me, anyway.

We continued on. The human was talking to me, even though he was looking ahead. "For the information, my name is Tim." I was being acknowledged… Someone friendly was paying attention to me! "If you really want to come home with me, do you think you can handle a car ride? I wouldn't want your belly to get upset. Besides, the road from here to Celestic Town is rather bumpy. Is that okay?"

Fine by me! If I have to get one stomachache, it's worth it to go home with someone who actually cares about me! I squirmed—not to get free, but to smother his face with happy licks.

Tim chuckled, "I take that as a yes."

.........

As soon as the car stopped, I leaped up to the window. Where did Tim take me? All I could see were rows of trees, cars, and—and… houses! I finally have a home! My tail began to wag so happily, it was a miracle that I didn't slice the air in two. The car door opened behind me, and I saw Tim step to the side and bow.

As I tried to figure out what he was doing, he told me regally, "Your majesty."

Holy Arceus! He was treating me like a _king_! Now this is what I call royalty! I licked a paw daintily before hopping out. My legs buckled under me as I landed, and I tumbled down the driveway. I must've been riding in the car too long, because the ground wobbled under me as I stood up and shook my head.

Finally the earth settled and I looked around wildly, trying to drink in everything at once. This yard had everything—a pond with Water-type Pokemon statues surrounding it, a few toys scattered here and there, and an _entire_ flowerbed for me to trample in!

I started towards it when Tim called across to me. "You have to keep quiet, Eevee," he told me in a whisper. "Let's surprise the wife and kids, okay?"

"_Vee!_" I whispered back.

He gave me a pat. "Good. Stay hidden behind me."

Tim picked up some bread from within the car and then locked all the car doors. Now that I wasn't being held by him and his body was not covered by a large newspaper, I managed to get a good look at him. He was dressed up in a pale brown attire, with a light brown hat to match. He was also wearing glasses. Tim started walking again, and, curious, I followed.

I obediently ducked behind his feet as he opened the door to a brick house. He stepped in first, and I marched in behind his feet to step on a hard tile floor. It was very warm and cozy inside, but so far all I saw was an umbrella on the wall, a place for coats, and some shoes off to the side. Tim took off his shoes and tossed them with the other shoes.

I lingered back, wandering around before catching up to Tim again. He said he had a wife and children… Would their mother dislike me just as the little girl's had? Well, it was too late to turn back now. I had to force myself to keep going.

"Tim, you lazy bum!" I heard a feminine voice call out up ahead. "You were gone way too long to get bread. Did you visit the lottery again?"

Tim smiled, placing his hand to his head nervously. "Uh… You know I wouldn't do that, honey…"

I peered around his legs, being careful to flatten my large ears so they wouldn't be seen. We were in what appeared to be a kitchen, with red tile floor and a table in the center. Counters were around half of the room, while a black garbage can was nestled in a corner. My mouth drooled. I was still hungry, and the scent in the kitchen reminded me of the fried Pidgey from the food the kind old Persian gave me.

"Yay! Dad's home!" I quickly backed up as I heard a pair of young voices, one male and one female. The two grabbed their father in a bear hug, but thankfully neither bothered to look behind him.

I waited, on the verge of exploding from sheer excitement. When would I get to show myself?

"Hey, where's Ben?" Time asked suddenly, looking expectantly at his wife. "You know, _all_ of us should be together for lunch."

His wife looked puzzled, and she put down a spoon she had been using to stir something in a bowl. She looked to be slightly overweight, but she had a plump, kind face. "He's upstairs; you know that. Besides, we still have an hour to go until lunch. I might be a good cook, but I'm not_ that _good."

Tim set the bread on the table, smiling. "Really? I could've sworn five hungry people were in the kitchen already."

His wife made a funny face. "Tim Smith, you're acting weird today. Did you spend all of your math on that lottery ticket and—"

Tim stepped aside so suddenly, I didn't have time to catch up with him. Panic flooded my body. Oh, no! I messed up all ready! Tim's going to be so mad at me because he told me to stay behind him! His wife's going to call me a filthy rat, Tim's going to smack me, the kids are all going to say they didn't want an—

"Eevee!" the young boy cried, nearly falling over. He instantly forgot his parents and sat down on the floor to grab me. He plucked me up and looked me in the eyes. "Oh, he's so awesome!"

"Hey! It's my turn to hold him!" His sister did _not_ want to be left out. "Dad! Tell Tony it's my turn to hold him!"

Tim's wife looked at her husband. "You got them an Eevee? You sneaky Sneasel, you."

I could not believe my ears. Tim wasn't angry one bit. It's as if he actually wanted me to be seen at that exact moment. His wife didn't seem to mind that I stunk. Instead, she gave her mate a quick kiss. Tony and his sister, both looking around nine years of age, were arguing—over me. Instantly I relaxed, and my tail began to wag the most it has ever wagged.

Tim's wife eventually took me from Tony's arm. "Well, let's see what we have here. Oh, he's a cutie." She looked me over. "He's certainly great with kids. He didn't even try to bite them." She set me down on the floor and made a motion to prevent the kids from smothering me again. "Tony, Sandra, neither of you are to pick up this Eevee until after lunch—he needs time to get adjusted to his new home."

My new home? They _wanted_ to keep me! They wanted to _keep_ me! I bounced around on the floor in joy, but I had no choice but to stop moving when Sandra, the female child, asked a question I'd been aching to hear.

"So what's his name?"


End file.
